Memorial Day Drinking Games: Circle Of Death

Memorial Day’s right around the corner – too bad you don’t have an awesome Man Cave to impress all of those people knocking down your door, begging to hang with you. Imagine if you already had that kegerator… you could put it to good use on Monday and efficiently get all of your new pals drunk.

Drinking on Memorial Day can be a task, so we’re here to help you be booze efficient – and there isn’t a better or faster way to get drunk than our favorite drinking game: Circle of Death. All you need is a pack of cards, some friends, and booze.

We’ve put together the OFFICIAL, NON-NEGOTIABLE, FINAL RULES for Circle of Death.

Table Of Contents

Set up

To decide who goes first deal out one card to each person. The person with the highest card will be first.

Fan cards face down into a circle, making sure there are no breaks between cards.

Optional: In the center of the circle put a full can of beer. The first person to break the circle has to chug the entire thing. We’ve made this rule optional since this game involves a lot of drinking already – we suggest only REAL MEN play with the beer in the center.

Even more optional: Instead of a beer put a cup and everyone pours a bit of their drink into it. It doesn’t matter if you’re drinking a gin and tonic or a beer, pour it in. Yes, it will be disgusting, but it’ll be funny when someone breaks the circle (unless its you).

2 is for you – Pick someone else playing the game and give them 2 drinks. It doesn’t matter the suit of the card or the color, all that matters is that whoever you choose drinks. We know that 2 drinks isn’t that devastating but we’re just getting started…

9 is a Rhyme – A favorite of ours. Say anything that is rhymable (i.e. talk) and the person to your right has to rhyme it, then the person to their right and so on until someone either repeats a rhyme that has already been used, or simply can’t come up with one. That person has to take a drink.

10 = Waterfall – Potentially the most devastating of all cards, for everyone. Grab a fresh beer for this one, because everybody has to drink for at least as long as the person who drew the 10! If that’s you, drink for as long as you want. Once you’re finished, the waterfall is passed to the person to your right, and everybody to his right keeps right on drinking.

And guess what happens when he stops? Yup, the waterfall is passed to the person to their right and everyone keeps drinking again. The waterfall is passed from person to person until it has made its way to the last person. Better hope you aren’t to the left of the person who drew this one.

One-eyed Jack = Thumb Master – If you draw this card you are the thumb master! Whenever you put a thumb on the table, everyone else has to put their thumb on the table and the last person to do so takes a drink! This card stays with you and you are the thumb master until you are overthrown (by someone drawing the other one-eyed jack). It can be fun to be discreet with your thumb, but if people aren’t paying attention feel free to try to draw attention to your thumb.

Two-Eyed Jack = ‘Never Have I Ever’ – Some of you may be familiar with this game. You say something you’ve never done, for example, eaten swordfish, then everybody who has eaten swordfish takes a drink. Then the person to your right says something they’ve never done, and you continue until everyone in the circle has done one. Be warned, this one can be a bit embarrassing

Strategy – Feel free to say something you have done, but be warned that you’ll have to take a drink too.

Queen = Questions – What’s this one about? Why would I know that? Are you saying I can only ask questions? How long do we have to do this? Until someone says something that isn’t a question. Then they take a drink.

Ace = New Rule – This card is dangerous. When you draw it you have the power to add a new rule to the game. You can do anything within reason. You can make it against the rules to call anybody by their name, and then anyone who says someone’s name has to take a drink. You could make a partner rule that requires somebody to drink every time you have to drink. You could even make a rule requiring everyone to talk with funny accents.

If someone draws an Ace after you they have a choice of abolishing the old rule and adding a new one, or they can keep the old rule around and just add another. It’s up to them.